


Sing A Song, Make It Snappy

by love_killed_the_superstar



Series: But Beautiful We Three Are [9]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, F/F, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-24 08:25:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15626712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_killed_the_superstar/pseuds/love_killed_the_superstar
Summary: 11. Yellow stared sourly ahead, and muttered, “If we're lucky, they'll all be too drunk on grief to even remember this Christmas holiday.”“If we're lucky,” Blue murmured, “we will be too.”





	Sing A Song, Make It Snappy

**Author's Note:**

> I've been crafting this fic since the Zoo arc, and I took the idea of YD forcing Yellow to sing from that (except in this she's a lot less willing). Also, as I've said before, Rose and Pink are NOT one and the same in this universe, and WD is Pearl's mother.

The Christmas of sixth year was intense. In the late November news came that Rose Quartz's mother, the notorious Pink of the ministry's magical artefacts sector, had died suddenly from a fatal hex. Pearl wasn't sure how to feel – she'd never met Rose's mother before, but knew that they had a difficult relationship from when they had still hung out together. Rose hadn't liked to talk about her, but Pearl felt bad for the loss all the same.

Blue, Yellow and Pearl's mothers had worked with Pink for many years, so it was no doubt going to be a very difficult Christmas for their families. Yellow was already trying to find excuses to stay in the castle over Christmas, jumping at the tiniest of noises, and Blue was unusually gloomy, tearing up at insignificant things and wallowing by herself in between classes. Pearl couldn't help but feel panic deep in her gut at the thought of being home in the event of this loss. Her mother was a rather… pleasantly stoic figure, but she was extra critical of her daughter when in bad moods, and no doubt the death of a close friend would cause her to be even more severe with her punishments. Yellow's mother would be openly picking her apart, and would probably do worse things where the rest of them couldn't see. Blue's mother had refused to take antidepressants for many years, simply for being created by muggles, so it was almost guaranteed that she would be emotional, weepy and neglectful of Blue throughout the holiday.

In conclusion, this Christmas period was going to suck.

“ I don't want to do this,” muttered Yellow, as they boarded the Hogwarts Express on the 18 th of December. The journey had been delayed due to ice on the tracks, leaving many of the students travelling home for winter shivering out on the platform for almost an hour. Yellow's nose was red and dripping already, and Pearl's was in a similar state.

Blue's eyes always watered in the cold, and she scrubbed at her face before replying stubbornly, “We have to. Our mothers are expecting us.”

“ You're okay,” Yellow snapped, “because you have Lapis there to mediate. My mother... well, you know what she's like.”

“ She might not be like that,” Pearl said softly, reaching across to hold Yellow's hand. Yellow shrugged it off, glaring at them both, but Pearl persisted, reaching further to firmly clasp Yellow's hand in her own. “Look. If we're lucky, they'll all spend the nights drinking her port and listening to her old records. They'll leave us be. We can hide out in Blue's room and listen to our own music and if they try anything, at least her sister will be there to intervene.”

“ Lapis won't do anything,” Blue murmured, burying her hands in her pockets. “Whenever things get bad she'll just floo to her friend's place for the night, or fly away on her firebolt to some hill to write angsty songs and drink firewhiskey on.”

“ Maybe we can tag along,” Pearl joked, but Blue didn't return her smile.

Yellow stared sourly ahead, and muttered, “If we're lucky, they'll all be too drunk on grief to even remember this Christmas holiday.”

“ If we're lucky,” Blue murmured, “we will be too.”

 

…

 

When they arrived back in London, they were met by a stony-faced Ms Novik, who marched the three of them wordlessly to the nearest fireplace and floo'd them back to the Novik household. They parted ways after that. Blue was greeted by an apathetic older sister and hysterical mother, beside herself with grief over her colleague's passing; Yellow was ordered to her room for the night, which she took as a lucky escape; and Pearl, with dread in her gut, was greeted by her mother, eerily cheerful, arms spread out.

“ Hello, starlight,” she cooed, bringing Pearl into a rigid hug. “Did you have a good trip home? Has your school year been fun so far?”

“ Hello. Mother, are you-”

“ Good, good. Be a dear and start on dinner. Your poor mother has such a migraine from all that has happened, and you will be bringing me all sorts of grief while you're home, I'm sure. I need to lie down, please ring the dinner bell to wake me.”

Ever the whirlwind, her mother swept through the dazzlingly bright hallway like a ghost, disappearing into the spotless main room while Pearl stood there in a daze. She wasn't sure what she had expected, but her mother was somehow even more patronizing than usual. Carefully taking off her shoes and leaving them by the doormat, she hurried upstairs with her trunk, tucking it under her bed before changing out of the clothes she travelled in and putting on an outfit that she knew her mother liked. She was behaving more strangely than usual, and frankly, Pearl didn't want to take any chances.

The next few days went by like that. Pearl's mother loved to have her all to herself in these moods, having Pearl dote on her, and kept her from venturing next door to visit Blue or Yellow. It wasn't until Christmas eve, when the families reunited, that Pearl was even allowed to see them again.

Blue's bangs were combed to one side, revealing tired eyes, uncomfortably avoiding looking at anyone. Her obscured vision had always been a coping mechanism for her, Pearl and Yellow and even Lapis knew that, and mostly Ms Bermet would let that slide, but in her more distraught moods, she would pick and pick at Blue for it. Clearly, she'd won a battle of wills this time. Yellow's hair was parted differently too, but Pearl realised with a sinking feeling that it was to obscure a bruise to her forehead. She looked even more exhausted than Blue, her downturned mouth giving away how close she was to bursting into tears at any moment. It made Pearl feel sick.

Dinner was uneventful, and as soon as she had the opportunity, Lapis excused herself from the dinner table, presumably to do as Blue had predicted and fly away into the cold December night with only a bottle of firewhiskey to keep her warm. The other three weren't so lucky, crowding into Ms Bermet's library as their mothers began to pour drinks. Ms Bermet had been crying since pudding had been served, and she wept openly into her drink as Ms Bisera sat oddly still and Ms Novik clapped her hands, clearly frustrated by the atmosphere.

“ Sing for us, Yelena. And Blair, Pearl, don't frown. Your mother is in need of cheering up!”

Yellow's cheeks reddened, and Pearl felt hurt in the pit of her stomach. Could anything be more degrading than Yellow's own mother treating her like a court jester in front of her girlfriends and their mothers? Blue was staring at Yellow's mother in shock, while her own mother stared expectantly at Yellow, still dabbing her watery eyes. Pearl felt helpless, a deer in headlights as she felt her own mother's piercing gaze on her, clearly picking up on how uncomfortable her daughter was.

“ Yelena,” came the voice of Ms Novik once more, sharp in warning. “Now, if you please.”

Yellow swallowed, cleared her throat, clasped her hands behind her back, and out came an old wizard Christmas carol that she had learned in the choir. Her voice was a little rusty, but she continued to shakily sing. After some point, Blue joined in too, and then Pearl, and even though it hurt and the humiliation was near unbearable, the fact that all three of them were willing to share the burden made it just slightly more bearable.

Ms Bermet's tears soon dried, and as their mothers nursed more and more alcohol, raising a glass to their deceased friend each time, the trio were eventually rudely dismissed. Pearl wasted no time in dragging Yellow out as fast as they could.

“ I can't believe she did that,” Yellow said brokenly, the moment the door was shut. Pearl sat down on the bed, running a hand through her hair nervously, while Blue hovered beside Yellow, already tearing up. “I... humiliating me like that. Making me  _ sing _ for them, l-like some puppet...”

“ It was messed up,” Pearl whispered. “Yellow, I'm so sorry.”

Yellow trudged over to the bed and sank down onto it numbly, staring ahead of her. Blue lowered herself down on Yellow's other side, reaching over to take her hand. Yellow moved it away instinctively, before looking up at Blue with unshed tears in her eyes and taking her hand properly, lacing their fingers together.

“ Sometimes I feel like an ornament,” Yellow murmured, face pinched with hurt. “Just another fancy piece of furniture in her life. Something she can sculpt to fit this idea of what her daughter should be. Does she even know how shitty that was?”

“ I don't think any of them do,” Pearl said softly, numbly. “But you're so much more than that, Yellow. If they knew the real you, they'd be blown away by how incredible you are. I... I don't think they'd know what to do.”

“ Knowing my mother, she would try and bully it out of me,” Yellow laughed wetly, eyes shining with tears. “I feel like eventually I'll just... disappear. Become the daughter she's been spending her whole life molding me into. You have permission to kill me if that happens. Just take me out right there and then.”

“ Don't talk like that,” Pearl said sharply. “We won't let that happen. As long as we're here, you'll never be able to forget the person you are. We won't let you. We'll be here every day reminding you how loveable and obnoxious you are, and how much we adore you for it.”

Yellow sniffled quietly, and whispered, “Thank you.”

Blue reached an arm around her, pulling her into a side hug, and Yellow let out a shaky sob against Blue’s chest.

“You don’t have to thank us for that,” Blue murmured. “We love you. We’ll always be here for you.”

“I don’t know how much longer I can take this crap. It all keeps building up. Someday I really think I’ll end up hexing her.”

“We’ll help you hide the body,” Pearl deadpanned, and Yellow snorted through her tears.

“You? You can’t keep a secret to save your life. The moment we murdered anybody you’d run to the nearest grown up and tell all.”

Pearl looked a little hurt. “I can keep secrets! I never told about the Crystal Gems, I never told anyone how I felt about you two! You didn’t know I was gay for over a year!”

Yellow wiped her eyes an exchanged a wary look with Blue.

“...We had our suspicions,” Blue admitted.

“What? Why?”

“You wear your heart on your forehead, dummy.”

Yellow leaned over and kissed Pearl softly, and Pearl wiped gently at Yellow’s damp cheeks with a handkerchief when they parted.

“Well, even though I should feel offended that you both sussed me out so easily, I still love you.”

Blue giggled, and pulled them both into a tight hug.

“That’s perfect,” Yellow said, muffled by her face being pressed against their sweaters. “Because I love you too. And you too, Blue.”

“My girls,” Blue sighed, a wide grin on her face. “My wonderful, beautiful girls.”

They stayed like that, even when they heard the creak of Lapis creeping up the stairs, her broomstick tapping across the floorboards, even when they heard their mothers departing, grief-stricken drunk and sobbing, into their respective houses. Even when the house grew silent, and they were dazed with sleep deprivation. Eventually they fell asleep, curled up against each other, arms still firmly wound around, keeping them safe and tight.

In conclusion, this winter break was going to suck. Except, perhaps it wouldn’t always be as bad as Pearl feared.


End file.
